Focus Surrey was inspired by Focus Liverpool which was set up by three mums in the Liverpool area who were seeking support for their children with autism. Seeing how well their children developed skills through the use of ABA, a meeting was arranged for local parents within Liverpool to come together to talk about an ABA school. There was demand for not only ABA within the area but also to present ABA in a positive light to sceptical professionals. They also wanted to show it could be done in a cost effective way to both the local authority and to new families looking into ABA. That was the start of Focus Liverpool and news quickly spread to parents in other areas who also wanted to set up Focus groups structured around the same business model. 

 

Focus Surrey was founded in May 2016 by parents of children with autism in partnership with autism professionals, including Susan Archdall, the current Chairperson.

 

In May 2018, Focus Surrey was granted official charity status by the Charity Commission (registered charity 1178378). This was a significant milestone for the club and now, in 2024, it is about to enter its 14th term.

 

We are incredibly proud to have trained more than 400 volunteers in the principles of ABA and given them hands on experience working with children with special needs, with many having gone on to work in the SEN field. Our greatest achievement, however, is helping children with autism learn to communicate, play and develop their social skills within a fun and nurturing environment.